


The Remnants of Hope

by RickyOtaku



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-17
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 05:34:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9804719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RickyOtaku/pseuds/RickyOtaku
Summary: A lot of people, inspired by Naegi’s hope, had fight against despair. Some of them were the survivors of the Hunt that was responsible of the extermination of many talented young teenagers. Those survivors had used their talent to help and save a lot of people who was victim of despair. This is why they gained the title of "Remnants of Hope".





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I think that ndv3 has a lot of potential for AU, this is why I decided to wrote one. I'm sorry if I made mistakes, English isn't my first language. There is no major spoilers but I still warn you about potential minor spoiler. See the notes at the end for more explanation about why I decided to write this story (warning, there is spoiler for the game in the notes at the end).  
> The characters in this chapter are wearing the uniform they had in the beginning of the game's prologue.

Akamatsu Kaede was staring nervously at the people in the gymnasium. They were about her age, 16 or 17 years old. Including herself, they were sixteen people, eight girls and eight boys, wearing regular middle school uniform. In her case, Kaede was wearing a dark blue sailor school uniform with a red ascot.

Gathering her courage, the blond girl slowly approached from the other teenagers. A boy with short green hair suddenly gave her a warm smile. He seemed friendly, but Kaede couldn’t help herself from thinking he kind of looked like a playboy. 

“Yo. You don’t need to be shy, we’re all in the same situation as you.” The green haired boy began to say. “You too you received an invitation from Hope’s Peak Academy, right?”

“Huh, yeah, I did.” Kaede answered. She was a little bit reassured by the boy’s attitude.

Couples of day ago, she had received a letter from Hope’s Peak Academy, more specifically from the headmaster. It was an invitation to attend a special information session given by the headmaster of Hope’s Peak.

“It looks like we will be sixteen attending this information session.” The boy continued with a pensive look. “Interesting. I think I figured out what this session would be about.”

“Y-You…too?” A shy voice said.

Kaede noticed a boy slightly taller than her by their side. He was wearing a black cap and he seemed to be quite timid. 

“Oh, really? Well then, care to explain your deduction?” The green haired boy asked with a serious yet calm expression.

The boy with the cap seemed to hesitate for a moment. He took his chin with his finger while avoiding eye contacts. 

“Hope’s Peak Academy was recently reopened.” He began to say. “A school without students has no purpose, which must explain our presence here. I heard that Hope’s Peak’s classrooms had sixteen students. That corresponds to the number of people here. But…I don’t think I’m enough talented to be here. I’ve nothing exceptional, I just…resolved some cases with mere luck…”

Kaede listened to him with great surprise. Even if she considered that he was belittling himself unfairly, she was also uncertain about her presence here. She had a hobby, but she didn’t considered this to be a talent that was worthy of a school like Hope’s Peak.

“I must admit that I’m also confused.” The green haired boy added. “I don’t think that I have a particular talent…maybe I’m the Lucky Student…?”

“No, if someone’s here is the Lucky Student, it must be me.” The boy with the cap said.

“Oy, you guys!” An energetic voice suddenly shouted. 

A tall guy with spikey purple hair came to join them, showing a bright smile.

“Hey you, do you really think we were chosen to be students here?” The purple haired boy asked.

“Huh, I think that…it’s a high possibility.” The boy with the cap answered.

“That would explain why this guy who called on my cell phone asked me those questions.” The energetic guy continued. “At first I thought he was just a charlatan who pretended to be a fortune teller. He asked me questions about my pilotage ability. He seemed to think that I was a plane pilot, so I corrected him. I’m not just a pilot, I’m an astronaut! The one who’s even famous in space, the astronaut that crying children long for, Momota Kaito!

Kaede was wondering how a teenager could be an astronaut, but she didn’t dare asking.

“You remind me that I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Amami Rantarou. There is nothing really special about me, I’m just a normal guy. What about you?”

“Me? I’m Akamatsu Kaede, and…I like playing the piano.”

She looked at the boy with the cap, who had remained silent.

“Hey, what’s your name?” The blond girl asked with a friendly smile.

“Huh!?” Oh, uh…my name is Saihara Shuichi.”

“Did I hear you right? You think we’re going to be students here?” A girl with blond hair and wearing a sailor uniform revealing her cleavage. “If a genius like me is here, then it must be true. I’m the most prestigious inventor in this world, the one with golden brain cells, the almighty Iruma Miu!”

Kaede thought that Iruma was similar to Momota. They were both really energetic and loud, and also pretty confident about their capacity. They truly seemed like potential students from Hope’s Peak Academy.

“What kind of inventions did you make?” Kaede asked.

“What make you think your allow to talk to me, bitch!?” Iruma replied with displeasure. “A flat-chested like you shouldn’t be talking to someone like me. I’m not just a petty mechanic or some shit like that, I’m a fucking inventor! I’ve the power to change the world with my inventions! It’s not like the other idiot who lose his time jerking off in space…”

“Who are you calling an idiot!?” Momota shouted angrily. “Space exploration is not a waste of time! It’s really beneficial to humanity! I won’t let you insult space and make fun of my dream!”

Out of the blue, Iruma’s attitude changed. She was now shaking in fear, she almost look like she was about to piss herself. Kaede had hard time to believe it was the same girl who had insulted her without knowing her.

“W-Why are you shouting!? P-Please, don’t be mad at me…” Iruma begged.

Kaede decided to leave and go talk to someone else. She spotted a girl with medium length red hair who almost looked like a kid. She had a bored expression and seemed to have some difficulty to stay awake.

“Uhnaaa…it’s so tiresome.” The red haired girl said. “My legs are tired, if someone doesn’t carry me, I’ll fall on the ground soon…”

“If you don’t mind, Tenko would gladly carry you!” A girl with particular pigtails replied with enthusiasm.

“Uhh…it’s too tiresome to ask you why…so I allow you to carry me.”

Without further ado, the pigtailed girl took the smaller girl and put her on her back while heavily blushing. Kaede decided to leave them alone and searched for someone else. She saw a boy who also seemed quite young, with dark purple hair. He was currently talking with a boy with a robotic appearance. The young looking boy seemed really interested by the other boy, while the robotic one looked like he was intimidated.

 She noticed a rather normal looking girl with long blue hair. Kaede tried to call her, but she didn’t react. The blue haired girl seemed to be lost in her thought, she almost looked like a statue.

“HEY!” The blond girl tried again.

The blue haired girl remained quiet. A little bit annoyed, Kaede pocked her cheek.

“Oh my, I didn’t think you would poke me.”

“Sorry, but you didn’t answer me. You must be really deeply in your thought to not have heard me.” Kaede justified. “I almost thought that you were deaf…”

“No, I did hear you.” The blue haired girl corrected. “I just ignored you to not lose the train of my thought.”

Even if her words seemed to be rude, Kaede didn’t have the impression she said that to be mean.

“Well, it doesn’t matter anymore, I’ve finish to think. What do you want to talk about? Oh, I know! What is your favorite kind of Dere?” The blue haired girl asked with fervor.

“W-Wait! Can I know your name first? My name is Akamatsu Kaede.”

“I’m Shirogane Tsumugi, Nice to meet you.”

“Excuse-me, may I ask you a question?” A tall girl with silver hair said. “You also received an invitation, don’t you? I’m interest to know if you have an ability that you could consider a talent. I heard you talking with Saihara-san about the possibility that we were chosen by Hope’s Peak Academy.”

She was talking with such a mature voice that Kaede doubted that she was really a teenager.

“A talent? More like a passion.” Shirogane answered. “I don’t know why such a prestigious school like Hope’s Peak would be interested by a plain and simple girl like me. But to answer your question, I suppose my ability is cosplaying.”

Kaede was surprised to learn that she was a cosplayer. Shirogane indeed looked rather normal, but she couldn’t say she was plain. The blond girl even had the impression that she could felt some sort of pheromones coming from Shirogane.

“In my case, it’s more a hobby than a talent.” Kaede said. “I’m not bad at playing the piano.”

“I see, a cosplayer and a pianist. I asked this to others too and they all seemed to have an ability. Ah, sorry, I didn’t introduce myself properly. My name is Toujou Kirumi, and I’m a maid.”

Suddenly, sparkles appeared into Shirogane’s eyes while she almost jumped on Toujou.

“Really!? You’re maid!? What kind of maid? Wait, let me guess. You look like the serious type, really professional and impeccable, the perfect maid. I’ve cosplays that could suit you well. Please, tell me your mensuration…”

Slowly, Kaede began to recoiled, uneased by their conversation. She then spotted a large and tall muscular boy. At first she found him kind of scary, but when she noticed his big friendly smile, she thought that maybe she judged him to soon. He was talking with a rather short girl with tanned skin and platinum blond hair. Another boy was by their side, he had a suspicious appearance and he was wearing a mask on his mouth.

“I would like to visit your island one day.” The masked boy began to say. “I would like to learn more about your culture and be able to admire the beauty of your people.”

“Gonta is also interested in your island, Yonaga-san! Gonta is sure there are a lot of insects he never saw.” The muscular boy said.

Kaede also spotted a really short boy apart from the group. She noticed that Momota and Amami were approached from him, before engaging the conversation with him.

He wasn’t the only one who seemed to avoid contact with others. A girl with dark hair and red eyes was all alone. Since no one went to talk to her, Kaede decided to dare approaching her.

“Hi. You must have also received an invitation from Hope’s Peak, right? Do you have…a talent?” Kaede asked.

The other girl barely looked at her when she responded.

“Yes.”

 Kaede waited a little bit, thinking that maybe she would continue to talk, but it wasn’t the case.

“And…what it is? And what’s your name? Mine is Akamatsu Kaede.”

The red eyed girl sighed.

“Harukawa Maki. I’m a caregiver, even though I dislike children…”

Before Kaede could ask an explanation for this blatant contradiction, she heard someone calling her.

“Akamatsu-san!”

The blond girl turned back and saw Saihara. He seemed to be worried, and maybe even afraid.

“Saihara-kun, are you alright?” Kaede asked.

“I…This situation is not alright. It looks awfully like…the broadcast…of the killing game.” Saihara answered.

Kaede immediately felt goosebumps when she heard that. The Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in Human History came back to her mind. She remembered, one year after the beginning of the Tragedy, they had a broadcast of a mutual killing game. It was orchestrated by Enoshima Junko, the True Ultimate Despair, and the participants were her classmates, the Class 78th and last class of Hope’s Peak.

The broadcast had been horrible to watch. Seeing people who were supposed to be the symbol of hope killing each other had almost made Kaede fell into despair. But, she also remembered how she was saved from despair by Naegi Makoto. The way he had beaten Enoshima Junko and became the Ultimate Hope had gave her the courage to stand against despair and tried to spread hope by using her hobby: Playing piano. Even if she didn’t have met him personally, Kaede was still grateful toward Naegi for the hope he gave her. Without him, she would have fell into despair and never overcome the Hunt she had undergone during the Tragedy.

But what Saihara said also worried her. They were sixteen teenagers in a gymnasium and no one here seemed to know someone else. Kaede looked at the podium, afraid that Monokuma would sudden appeared and announce a new killing game.

Suddenly, the door opened. A rather short man entered into the gymnasium and ran toward the podium.

“Sorry, I’m late!” He shouted.

Kaede immediately recognized him. He was Naegi Makoto. Even if she was surprised by his sudden apparition, she felt deep joy to be able to saw him in person. She noticed that pretty much everyone was looking at him with great respect in their eyes.

A woman taller than him was following Naegi. Kaede also recognized her. She was Kirigiri Kyouko, the Ultimate Detective. Saihara was watching her with deep admiration.

“Welcome everyone to Hope’s Peak Academy! I’m the new headmaster, Naegi Makoto, and the woman here is Kirigiri Kyouko, my assistant. I’m happy to see that everyone came. You must be curious about the reason why you were invited here. Well, as you should know, Hope’s Peak recently reopened. We’re now ready to welcome new students and form them to become successful young adults.”

“We recently learned about a phenomenon that occurred after the broadcast of the first killing game.” Kirigiri added. “A lot of people, inspired by Naegi’s hope, had fight against despair. Some of them were the survivors of the Hunt that was responsible of the extermination of many talented young teenagers. Those survivors had used their talent to help and save a lot of people who was victim of despair. This is why they gained the title of ‘Remnants of Hope’.”

“Our talent scouts did researches about those who were called Remnants of Hope.” Naegi continued. “They were able to find enough of them to be able to make up a class, which explain your presence here.”

Kaede couldn’t believe it. It was the first time she heard about the term “Remnants of Hope”. She had difficulty to think that she was part of something that sounds that great, and even more about the possibility that Hope’s Peak Academy was interested by her hobby.

Suddenly, envelopes fell from the ceiling. Kaede noticed that names were written on them. Since some of them began to pick up the envelopes, she deduced that they must be address to them. She searched for one with her name on it and found one. She took the envelope and examined it. The symbol of Hope’s Peak was on it. With some nervousness, she opened it and removed the letter, before reading it:

_“Dear Akamatsu Kaede-san, we have the honor to inform you were chosen to be part of the 79 th Class of Hope’s Peak as the Ultimate Pianist. Congratulation!” _


	2. Birth of hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must admit that it would be impossible for this story to be totally spoiler free. There will be no spoilers about the victims, the culprits and the identity of the mastermind from the game ndrv3, but it's possible that there will have in futur chapters spoilers regarding the characters backstory or relationships. I just want to warn you before you keep reading. If you don't mind minor spoilers, then you're free to read chapter 2 and those after!

Sitting on a chair, Kaede had some difficulties to keep the visual contact with her interlocutor. Even if it was an honor for her to be able to have an interview with Naegi, she was still pretty nervous to be alone with him.

The pianist was in the headmaster’s office, with Naegi in front of her, sitting at his desk. Even if she had been already accepted at Hope’s Peak Academy, the headmaster had still insisted to talk with her in private. She wasn’t the only one, all the new students had to be interviewed alone with Naegi.

“You don’t need to be so nervous.” The headmaster said with a warm smile. “I just want to talk with you and asked you a couple of questions.”

Kaede finally calmed herself. There had something with Naegi’s attitude that was soothing.

“What do you want to ask me, mister Naegi?”

“First of all, we had studied your background. Is it true that you were a student at Hope’s Peak Elementary School?”

“Yes, it’s true. Back then, I had the title of Li’l Ultimate Music. But even when I was an elementary school student, my speciality was still piano.”

“Speaking of piano, I also heard that you had won a lot of piano competition when you were younger. That’s truly impressive, you definitely have a talent for playing the piano.” 

“I-I don’t think I’m that good.” Kaede shyly protested. “It’s true that I used to participate to competitions, but it wasn’t for winning. I just…like to play piano, and it makes me happy when people enjoy listening to me. It really is just a hobby. I must admit that I’m not sure why you choose me to be a student here. I don’t think I’m suited to be the Ultimate Pianist, and I don’t understand how I could be part of the Remnants of Hope. How my so-called talent could have saved people from despair?”

Naegi suddenly gazed at her with a serious look, which made Kaede kind of uncomfortable.

“Akamatsu-san, what happened to you during the Hunt? I know it’s a delicate question, so I won’t force you to answer if you don’t want to.”

The pianist remembered the terrible event known as the Hunt. Prior to that, discrimination against the talented had begun after the Tragedy of Hope’s Peak Academy. This event had caused the Parade, a revolution of the Reserve Course Students against the Main Course. It also had an impact even outside Hope’s Peak, instigating hatred against those who had talent.

In Kaede’s case, she hadn’t been affected immediately. Since she had stopped participating to competitions when she entered middle school, her classmates didn't know about her talent. She only played the piano when she was alone at her home as a hobby. Unfortunately, one day a rumor started about her, revealing that she had in the past a Li’l Ultimate title. Suspecting her to be talented, her classmates had begun to bully her cruelly. But it was nothing compare to what happen during the Tragedy. After the closure of Hope’s Peak Academy, the Hunt had start. Those who hated talents began to be more serious. It wasn’t just bullying anymore, but aggressions. Those acts of violent became gradually worse, some of them began to torture and even kill those who were suspected to be talented.

The people who were targeted by the Hunt were the ex-Li’l Ultimates, those who seemed to have a talent, and the students who were on Hope’s Speak’s list of potential future Ultimates. Everyone who were susceptible to be accepted at Hope’s Peak Academy if it reopened or just people who were a little bit too good at something specific were a potential targets for the Hunt. Another common point shared by the targets was the fact that they were all middle school students.

“I…I was attacked by people wearing…Monokuma’s helmets. They chased after me, so I had to hide. I knew that if they captured me, I would have suffered a fate worse than death. I found a shelter with regular civilians, and no longer after that, the…killing game’s broadcast began. I saw you…defeating Enoshima Junko and escaped Hope’s Peak with the other survivors.”

“And what did you do after that?” The headmaster asked.

“Well, when I first arrived into the shelter, I found an electronic keyboard in a pile of stuffs. At first I wasn’t interested to use it, since I was too shaken about the Hunt. But after your victory over the True Ultimate Despair, I became inspired by your hope. The others in the shelter didn’t seem to be affected by the killing game’s ending, they already had fall into despair. So I played piano on the electronic keyboard and tried to use my music to soothe people. When the situation became less chaotic in the outside, I began to give public piano representations to counter despair.” 

“I see, so what I heard about you was indeed true. Akamatsu-san, after what you told me, I am even more convinced that you deserve the title of Remnant of Hope and of Ultimate Pianist. There have a lot of way to help people. Even if some of the new students here used their talents in a physical way, some of them used it to heal people’s heart. This is what you did, you used your talent as a pianist to soothe people’s heart and save them from despair. Without you, those people in the shelter would probably still be affect by despair. You used your talent to spread hope in your own way, so please, don’t underestimate yourself and your capacities. Your talent has the potential to bring hope to a lot of people. Look at me. I was once the Ultimate Lucky Student, and I still managed somehow to become the Ultimate Hope. And as the headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy, I can guarantee you that you’re perfectly worthy of studying here.”

Kaede felt an intense and pleasant feeling inside of her. It was hope. Once again, Naegi was able to fill her heart with hope and helped her overcame her worries.

“You’re right, I shouldn’t doubt myself. I was a Remnant of Hope and now I’m the Ultimate Pianist. I’ll now act like it and do my best to be a good student of Hope’s Peak!”

Naegi showed a smile of satisfaction. Kaede was now determined to be worthy of the headmaster’s expectation of her and to use her talent for the sake of hope.

* * *

Kaede looked at herself in the mirror. She was now wearing a long-sleeved white shirt under a beige vest, with a brown tie and a skirt of the same color. It was the Hope’s Peak Academy’s school uniform, adapted to her own taste. It was kind of weird to see herself wearing the uniform of such a prestigious school, but she also felt really proud.

She had still to take care of her hair style before leaving. The Ultimate Pianist looked inside of her drawer and took out two sets of hairpins.  One was regular hairpins, while the others had the shape of music note. She had received the second set as a gift when she began middle school, but she never had worn them. She was too scared to wear them before, because it could have leaded her classmates to discover her talent.

But the situation was different now. Kaede wasn’t afraid anymore. She had fully accepted her talent, thanks to Naegi. Without further hesitation, the Ultimate Pianist put the hairpins shaped in music note in her bangs and looked in the mirror once again. Satisfied with the result, Kaede was ready to leave her dorm room, but she noticed the hour on the clock.

“Aah! I’m gonna be late if I don’t hurry!”

While realising this, she opened the door and exited her room. She than quitted the dormitory and ran toward the school. On her way, she saw a familiar boy walking fast toward Hope’s Peak Academy.

“Saihara-kun!”

He turned around when Kaede called him. He was wearing the regular Hope’s Peak uniform, but with his cap. The Ultimate Pianist approached from him, smiling.

“Akamatsu-san!” He said with a shy smile. “I’m glad…to see you. I was worried that you wouldn’t accept Hope’s Peak invitation.”

“Ah, I must admit that I almost refused. But I’m fine now. I’m proud to be the Ultimate Pianist!”

“I see, you too…They gave me the title of Ultimate Detective, but even now, I still think that I’m not suited to be here…”

Kaede crossed her arms and frowned, looking at Saihara with a serious expression.

“That’s not good, Saihara-kun!” She said with reprimand. “The headmaster has faith in you, you should trust his judgement. And it’s not only him. Kirigiri-san, the former Ultimate Detective, also consented to your acceptance here. I can’t think that they could be both wrong! So please, don’t doubt yourself. You should be more confident about your talent.”

Saihara blenched a little, before hiding under his cap.

“I…I suppose you’re right. Than from now on, I’ll try to act more confident.” He said.  

Kaede smiled at Saihara’s resolution. She then noticed that he was blushing. She found it kind of cute. She took the time to look his face. She couldn’t help herself from thinking that his cap was a waste and that he would be more handsome without it.

“I think…that we should hurry. The class is about to start.” The Ultimate Detective said.

“Ah, you’re right! Let’s go!”

They both began to run toward the main building. They entered it and went to their classroom. Saihara went inside first. Kaede stay a couple of seconds in the doorframe, hesitating. She took a deep breath to chase her nervousness. When she finally entered her classroom, she let behind her older self, the insecure girl who couldn’t trust people that she was before, ready to start her new life as a symbol of hope.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS!!!
> 
> The Hunt was called Super High School Level Hunt in the game, but since in this story the tragets were middle school students, it should be call Super Middle School Level Hunt. I must admit that when I saw chapter 2, I initially though that the Hunt was how I describe it in this story. 
> 
> Other that this story, I also want to write one about Otonashi Ryoko (In the Danganronpa IF universe) and one about Monaca after Danganronpa 3, since they're both characters that I really like but lack of developpement in the original serie.
> 
> I also have an idea of crossover between Danganronpa and Akuma no Riddle. I first saw AnR and I really liked it, and since Myanimelist suggested me Danganronpa The Animation because of that, it's because of AnR if I discovered Danganronpa. If I write a crossover, it would probably be the characters from AnR in a killing game similar to those in Danganronpa, and probably in the same universe.


	3. First day of school 1

“Hey, it’s Akamatsu-san your name, right?”

Kaede turned back to see who was calling her. She recognized the spiky purple haired boy she had met during the special information session at the gymnasium. He was wearing his school uniform in a particular way. One of his arms wasn’t in his jacket’s sleeve and under his unbuttoned shirt there had a white t-shirt with a strange red motif. She also noticed that he was wearing slippers rather than shoes.

“Yes, it’s my name. And you…it’s Momota-kun if I remember correctly.”

The purple haired guy suddenly slammed his fists together, while showing a wide and enthusiastic smile.

“That’s right! I’m the one and only Momota Kaito! The Ultimate Astronaut that is famous both on Earth and in space!”

Kaede was surprised to learn that astronaut was his confirmed talent. She initially thought that he would end up being the Ultimate Pilot. It seemed that him being an astronaut wasn’t an exaggeration after all.

 “And what about you? Judging by your hairpins, you must be a musician. By the way, I like their design! They make you look cool!”  

She blushed a little from the compliment, before replying.

“I’m indeed a musician, but I’m specialising in piano. I’m the Ultimate Pianist.”

“That’s awesome!” Momota exclaimed, before looking at Saihara. “And you? No wait, let me guess. Uh…you must be…a baseball player? Because you’re wearing a cap.”

“Ah, uh, no, that’s not it. I’m…the Ultimate Detective.”

“Oh, really? Then, why don’t you wear a more detective-like cap? Um, maybe a pipe would suit you. I don’t have a regular one, but I have a kiseru pipe…”

“W-Wait! I can’t smoke, I’m underage!” Saihara protested.

Kaede wanted to make a comment about the fact it was also bad for health and also asked why Momota had a kiseru, but something attracted her attention before she could talk.

She had noticed that someone was gazing her. She recognised this person as Amami. When their eyes met, he suddenly showed a friendly smile while waving his hand in an invitative way. Since Saihara and Momota were still talking together, she decided to go see Amami. She noticed that he wasn’t alone. A childish looking boy was with him.

“So you also accepted Hope’s Peak Academy’s invitation, Akamatsu-san. Almost everyone who was at the special information session is here.” The green haired boy began to say. “If I remember well, you said that you play piano. So I assume that you’re the Ultimate Pianist, don’t you?”

“Ah, yes, you guessed right. And you, what’s your talent?”

Amami put his index if front of his mouth and smiled in an indescribable way.

“It’s a secret.” He whispered.

Before Kaede could say anything about his refusal, the other boy went between them. He looked at her with a friendly yet kind of mischievous smile.

“Just forget him Akamatsu-chan, Amami-chan just want to show off by playing the mysterious type. You should talk with me instead, I won’t hide my talent to you. I’m Ouma Kokichi and I’m the Ultimate Supreme Leader. Nice to meet you!”

“Huh, Supreme Leader? Of what?” She asked, incredulous.

“Nishishi, I’m the leader of an evil society with more than 10 000 members.”

“What!? You can’t be serious…”

“Well I’m a liar so maybe I’m just telling you a lie.” Ouma interrupted with a grin.

“Huh?! You shouldn’t tell lies!” Kaede reprimanded.

 Ouma giggled a little, before smirking. The Ultimate Pianist didn’t know what to think about him. The supreme leader didn’t seem really evil, more like a prankster, or a child who could push the joke too far. He suddenly looked away and his smile became somewhat malicious.

“Oy, why a robot is wearing clothes? It’s not like you have something to hide, you don’t even have a dick.” Ouma said in a mocking tone.

Even if she was surprised by the way he talked, Kaede was also curious about the person he was talking to. She turned back, to discover a robotic being with a humanoid form, which seemed pissed. The robot was wearing the school uniform’s jacket and pants, showing his robotics parts on his chest because of the lack of shirt.

“Don’t be discriminatory! It’s not because I’m a robot that I can’t wear clothes. I’m a proper student of Hope’s Peak Academy, its normal that I’m wearing the official uniform. And also, let me tell you that having a penis when you can’t reproduce is useless, so it’s illogical for you to complain about my lack of genital.”

“Are you implying that…we should castrate men who are infertile!?” Ouma shout with a shocked expression.

“That’s not what I meant, don’t wrongly interpret my words! What I meant is that it would have been useless for my creator to put me an organ that is meant to reproduction, since I can’t reproduce.”

“Wait, so you’re really a robot?” Kaede asked.

The robotic being looked at her with an expression of mistrust.

“Why? Are you also a robot-racist?” He replied on the defensive.

“No, I’m just…curious. It’s the first time I meet a robot like you. Regardless of your appearance, you don’t seem too much different from humans.” 

The robot became more relaxed and even showed a smile.

“I’m relieved. My name is Kiibo. I would like if you view me like anyone of your classmates. Even if I’m a robot, I’ve a maturing AI. After my creation, I had no knowledge or awareness, so my creator raised me like a normal child, and I’m now like any other teenagers. This is why I was given the title for Ultimate Robot. And you? What is your name and talent?”

Kaede was surprised to learn that “robot” was considered to be a talent. In Kiibo’s case, the fact that he existed was his talent.

“My name is Akamatsu Kaede, and I’m the Ultimate Pianist.”

“OH MY GOD IT’S A REAL ROBOT!”

Iruma almost jumped on Kiibo with sparkles in her eyes. She was wearing the regular school uniform, but her shirt was enough opened to show her cleavage and she had goggles on her head.

“You’re losing your time, you sex-maniac.” Ouma began to say with a bored expression. “He doesn’t have a dick…”

“I already told you that it’s useless for me, since I can’t reproduce…” Kiibo replied with embarrassment.

“What’s that bullshit you’re saying?! Dicks aren’t just for making babies, it’s also to do sex for pleasure! For a boy to not have a dick, I feel sorry for you…Wait, you’re a guy, right?” Iruma asked.

“Huh…I think. I’m not sure if robots have genders, but I was always referred as a boy.”

A lustful smile appeared on Iruma’s face while she put one of her hands on Kiibo’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I can fix that. I’m the Ultimate Inventor, so you can trust me. I can definitely make you discover the carnal pleasure.”

Kaede recoiled and began to go away. It wasn’t the kind of conversation she wanted to be part of.

A woman with long lilac hair and wearing a red suit suddenly came into the classroom. It was Kirigiri Kyouko.

“The class will start soon, so please take a seat.” The ex-Ultimate Detective said with a stoic expression.

Kaede looked around and found an empty desk. The seat was in the back of the class near the window, second row from behind. She sat at this seat, ready to start her first lesson.

“It looks like you’re going to be the protagonist, Akamatsu-san.”

The Ultimate Pianist almost blenched. She turned back, to discover a blue haired girl with glasses.

“You’re…Shirogane-san, right?”

“Oh, you remembered my name! I’m surprise to see that you bothered remembering the name of someone as plain than me.”

“I don’t think you’re plain. You were accepted by Hope’s Peak Academy, you must have a wonderful talent.”

“To think that someone as simple as I am was accepted here, it’s quite surprising. I was given the title of Ultimate Cosplayer. But compared to all of you, I’m the equivalent of a mob character.”

Kaede wasn’t sure how to interpret Shirogane’s behaviour. She didn’t seem to be a depressive person or to have a bad esteem of herself. She was acting friendly and polite and even when she said those negatives thing about herself, she didn’t seem sad.

“Anyway, what were you saying? About me being the protagonist?”

“Well, you choose this seat. In a lot of animes, this is the seat of the main character. So you must be the protagonist!” The cosplayer answered.

“Huh? But…we’re in reality. So it shouldn’t matter which seat I choose, right?”

“Umm, I wonder about that…”

Kaede wasn’t sure about what Shirogane was talking about. She wanted to clarify this, but she heard Kirigiri beginning to talk. The Ultimate pianist turned back to listen what she was saying.

“The class will now begin…but you’re supposed to be sixteen students. You’re only thirteen. Three people are missing…”

The door opened abruptly. A girl with greenish hair entered, with a red haired girl on her back.

“Sorry for the late! When Tenko was on her way, she saw Yumeno-san having difficulties to walk, so Tenko had to help her. Ah, and also…there’s a male who’s also late.”

“I see…you can go take a seat.” Kirigiri replied.

The girl who was referring at herself as “Tenko” went to an empty seat, and for some reason, sat Yumeno on her thighs. The red haired girl seemed to be asleep and she was wearing a witch hat.

Couple of seconds later, a tall and muscular boy made his entry.

“Sorry! Gonta didn’t want to be late, it’s so ungentlemanly to be late the first day of school. But Gonta isn’t good with technology so his alarm clock didn’t ring…” He said with a panicked voice.

“It’s ok, just be careful next time. You can go take a seat.” The ex-Ultimate said before addressing the class. “So, you already know who I am but I’ll still introduce myself. I’m Kirigiri Kyouko, and for the moment I’ll be your homeroom teacher.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapters will probably be similar to Free Time Events. I also want to do chapters with the characters doing group activites (like board games or role play games). I'll also make the cast of other danganronpa medias (DR2 and DR:AE probably) show up eventually.


	4. First day of school 2

The first three classes went well. Kaede learned that before, Hope’s Peak Academy’s Main Course wasn’t obliged to go to class, except when there were exams. The old administration of Hope’s Peak considered that the students should use their class time to work on their talent instead. But with the new administration lead by Naegi Makoto, things changed. It was now mandatory to go to class. The new headmaster and his staffs considered that talent wasn’t all that matter for Hope’s Peak Academy’s students and that regular classes would be better to make them enjoy their school life like any normal teenager. However, there had a free time class every day to let the students practice their talent.

It was now lunch time. Almost everyone left the classroom, except five people, including herself. Shirogane and Iruma were still at their desk, eating their bento. Kaede recognized one of those who were late, the girl who spoke in third person. She was with the red haired girl with a witch hat.

“Yumeno-san, it’s time to wake up. Class is over.”

The smaller girl was sleeping at her desk, while the other girl was softly shaking her shoulder to wake her up. Since she never talked with them, Kaede decided to go meet them.

“Hello…” She tried to say.

“KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!”

“Ah!” Kaede blenched.

After uttering this cry, the girl who was referring at herself as “Tenko” took an offensive posture. When she saw Kaede, she began to blush with embarrassment.

“Ah, sorry! It’s a reflex. Please, don’t see Tenko as someone who could attack a girl, because Tenko would never do that! Except if it’s a fair fight.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about that. Hum, you seem to have good reflexes, are you perhaps some kind of fighter?”

“You see right. Tenko is the Ultimate Aikido Master, Chabashira Tenko!”

“Huh, aikido? To see such a cute girl like you being an aikidoka is quite surprising.”

Chabashira blushed even more and became flustered.

“Tenko, cute? W-What are you saying!? Tenko isn’t cute at all…Cute would rather fit someone like…”

The aikidoka didn’t finish her sentence, she just turned her head to gaze the red haired girl. Kaede noticed that Chabashira’s blush had changed. It wasn't from embarrassment anymore, but more from…attraction? Lust? The Ultimate Pianist wasn’t sure. The girl with the witch hat suddenly woke up.

“Good morning.” She said while yawning.

“It’s almost the afternoon, Yumeno-san. It’s time for lunch.”

The red haired girl looked at Chabashira, before turning her head toward Kaede.

“Who are you?”

“Uh? Ah, I’m Akamatsu Kaede, the Ultimate Pianist. And you?”

“Yumeno Himiko. I’m the Ultimate Mage.”

Kaede became silent. She wasn’t sure if it was a joke. Yumeno seemed serious and Chabashira didn’t react at the term “mage”.

“But officially, I’m known as the Ultimate Magician.”

“Ah, you should have said that earlier! Of course magic isn’t real…” Kaede replied.

“…Magic is real. Because, I’m really a mage…” Yumeno said with a pout. “It’s because of a conspiracy to hide the existence of magic that people think that my magic is only tricks.”

“Huh, conspiracy? It sounds kind of fishy…”

“If Yumeno-san said magic is real, then magic is real!” Chabashira replied energetically.

“How can you be so trustful?” Kaede asked.

“Because Yumeno-san is so small and cute!” The aikidoka answered without hesitation. ”Tenko can’t think that someone like her can lie.”

“You sound like a fucking lolicon! That’s creepy!”  

Kaede turned back and saw Iruma rushing toward them.

“T-That’s not true! Tenko isn’t a lolicon!” Chabashira protested strongly.

“Don’t bullshit me Chaba _shit_ a!” The inventor replied. “I saw how you look at this red haired chibi. I can see the lust in your eyes. And I’m sure you carried her just to feel her loli boobs against your back you perv!”

“O-Of course not! Tenko isn’t a pervert male, Tenko wouldn’t do that!” The aikidoka continued to deny.

“If I may say so, I don’t think ‘lolicon’ would be the fitting term.” Shirogane began to say. “After all, Yumeno-san is the same age as us. In a manga she would be considered as a ‘legal loli’. So I suppose the fitting term for Chabashira-san would be ‘legal lolicon’.”

“Oy, who the hell are you!” Iruma shouted. “Where did you come from? I never saw you before, are you in this class? And cut it out with the otaku talk…”

“I know that I’m plain, but to not even notice my presence…it make me feel even more like a background character.” The cosplayer replied with a slightly concern expression.

“Wait, I’m a what now?” Yumeno asked with a tired look.

“Tenko isn’t a legal lolicon either! Tenko isn’t attracted to little girls. What’s wrong with liking small and cute girls?” Chabashira argued.

“So you really swing that way!?” Iruma said with panic while covering her cleavage.

“Ah, really? I wouldn’t have thought to see yuri development in this class. It’s kind of interesting!” Shirogane said with enthusiasm.

While they continued to argue, Kaede slowly began to recoil and left the classroom. She went outside the school and spotted one of her classmate near a tree. It was the boy who arrived late this morning. He wasn’t alone. A girl with a tanned skin and platinum blond hair was there too. The girl seemed to have spot Kaede too and began to wave her hand while smiling.

“Hey, you! Come here!” The platinum blond haired girl invited with fervor.

The Ultimate Pianist couldn’t decline such an enthusiastic invitation. She went to them and introduced herself.

“Hi! My name is Akamatsu Kaede and I’m the Ultimate Pianist. What about you?”

“Gokuhara Gonta, Ultimate Entomologist!” The boy answered with a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you, Akamatsu-san.”

“Yonaga Angie, Ultimate Artist!”

They both seemed to be quite sympathetic. Kaede was surprised to see that Gokuhara’s attitude didn’t match his physic. Despite his terrifying appearance, he seemed to be a nice and gentle boy.

“What are you doing here?” The Ultimate Pianist asked.

“Gonta was trying to find insects to show them to Yonaga-san.”

When he talked about insect, Kaede noticed the bug terrarium strapped around him. She wasn’t sure what an “entomologist” was, but it seemed to be related to insect. She also noticed that he wasn’t wearing shoes. She wondered why. Maybe there were none of his size?

“Yonaga-san, do you like bugs?” Kaede asked.

“Angie loves every living being, because they’re all creatures of God.” The artist answered cheerfully.

The Ultimate Pianist was surprised to hear her speaking about God. Yonaga must be a religious person.

“And you, Akamatsu-san? Do you like insects?” Gokuhara suddenly asked.

His face became scarier. Kaede wasn’t good with insects, but she was afraid to tell him that. But she also didn’t want to lie.

“I…find butterfly and ladybug kind of pretty…” She answered nervously.

The entomologist kept his scary face for a moment, before showing a cheerful smile.

“So those two are your favorite insects! Gonta is happy to see another bugs lover.”

Kaede sighed in relief and smiled awkwardly. Technically, she didn’t lie, it was Gokuhara who misunderstood her words.

“I begin to be hungry, I’ll go to the cafeteria. It was nice to talk with you.” Kaede said.

“Thank you to have spoken to Gonta!”

“See you later” Angie added.

The Ultimate Pianist leaved them and went to the cafeteria. On her way, she almost collided into another girl. It was the dark haired girl she met with everyone at the special information session.

“Ah, sorry! Uh…Harukawa-san?”

“Be cautious around me. I’m not the kind to go easy on people who hit me, even if it was by accident, uh…what’s your name again?”

“Akamatsu Kaede. I’m the Ultimate Pianist. Sorry again for almost bumping into you!”

Harukawa didn’t reply. She didn’t seem to be really sociable, more like the loner type. Even so, Kaede still tried to talk with her.

“So…what’s your talent?”

The dark haired girl didn’t answer. She seemed even bothered by her question. The Ultimate Pianist remembered that Amami also refused to tell his talent. She also remembered something Harukawa had said to her when they met for the first time.

“Could it be…that you’re the Ultimate Caregiver?”

Harukawa didn’t reply immediately. She looked hesitant to answer.

“Yes, I’m the Ultimate Caregiver. Now if excuse me, I’ve things to do.”

Without saying anything more, the dark haired girl turned around and went away.

“Ah, wait…” Kaede tried to call her.

But it was too late. She was already far away. The Ultimate Pianist wondered why she seemed bothered to reveal her talent. Maybe she was worried that being a caregiver would make her look too soft?

“Don’t bother with her, she has the same vibe as me. She’s the type of person you shouldn’t associate with.”

Kaede almost blenched. She turned back, to see a really small guy. He was wearing the regular school uniform, with a particular hat with two points. Despite his size, he had a deep and mature voice.

“Huh? What are you saying…”

“The name’s Hoshi Ryouma, the Ultimate Tennis Player. You must have heard about me in the news.”

The Ultimate Pianist took the time to think and tried to remember. After a couple of seconds, she remembered in what circumstance she heard his name and began to be a little bit frightened.

“You’re…the Killer Tennis, the one who killed an entire mafia organization’s members…”

“You look scared. I can understand why, but be reassured, I’m not planning to kill anyone anymore. I’m kind of surprised that Hope’s Peak Academy had accepted a murderer like me. Maybe it’s because I once was a student of the Elementary School Division…”

“Huh? You too?!”

“I was the Li’l Ultimate Sport, even if my speciality was tennis.”

Kaede was surprised to discover someone else who studied at Hope’s Peak Elementary School.

“I’m sorry if I interrupted you, but I heard something from you that catch my attention. Is it true that you were both students at the Elementary School Division?”

The Ultimate Pianist turned back to see who was talking. She discovered a tall boy with a strange appearance. He was wearing a black mask with a zipper and his hands were covered with bandages.

“You…heard right.” Kaede confirmed.

“I see, so I wasn’t alone. You must wonder who I am, right? My name is Shinguuji Korekiyo, I’m called the Ultimate Anthropologist, but I once had the title of Li’l Ultimate History.”

Kaede wondered if they had other ex-Li’l Ultimate among her classmates.

“I’ll go to the gymnasium.” Hoshi simply said before leaving.

“I have to go too, I was searching Yonaga-san.” Shinguuji said.

“Ah, I saw her not long ago, with Gokuhara-kun. They were outside the school.”

“I see, thank you…may I ask you your name?”

“Of course! I’m Akamatsu Kaede, the Ultimate Pianist.”

“So you’re a musician, interesting. I would appreciate to talk with you later. It’s always a pleasure to get to know more humans and learn more about them.”

Kaede wasn’t sure how to interpret what Shinguuji said. He talked like he wasn’t human himself.

“Ok…uh, well, I need to go to the cafeteria. Bye.”

The Ultimate Pianist left too and went to the cafeteria. She spotted Momota and Saihara at a table and decided to go eat with them.

After lunch time, it was free class. Everyone could use their free time to work on their talent. For each of them, a research room had been built to that. Kaede found her research room. She went inside and discovered a piano, which filled her with happiness. Without losing any time, she sat on the seat and let her fingers explored the keyboard, before beginning to play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Kaede has everyone's Bond Fragment. She can now start collecting her classmates' panties and make a harem. Or not.
> 
> Ah, Shuichi went to the bathroom during the free class and heard Kaede playing piano, so he stayed near her research room all the remaining time to listen. Yup, that's what he did.
> 
> For the next chapter, I want to do a group activity, but I hesitate between two games. It's The Werewolves of Millers Hollow (a board game) and Donjon & Dragon (probably online, or just a fantasy RPG game).


	5. Free Time Event 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being late with this update! I started a traineeship recently and I've less time to work on my stories. I'll probably be quite busy for the next two months, so I won't be posting frequently.

One week had passed since the 79th class began to attend Hope’s Peak Academy. Kirigiri were still their homeroom teacher, even if she was technically the vice-principal. According to the ex-Ultimate Detective, their real homeroom teacher should arrive in the course of the week, along with others school’s staff.

Like every morning, Kaede went to school with Saihara. Often, Momota was also with them and today Amami walked with them too. Near them there were Chabashira and Yumeno going to school together, or rather, the aikidoka carrying a sleepy Yumeno.

When they reached their classroom, Kaede went to her seat, or the “main character seat”, like Shirogane said. Kirigiri arrived no long after them and the course began.

* * *

 

It was now the first break of the day. Usually, Kaede spend time in her classroom with her classmates who stayed too, but today she decided to do something different. The Ultimate Pianist went to the schoolyard, where her other classmates usually pass there time during the break. She saw Chabashira and Yumeno lying together on the grass. Since they seemed to be taking a nap, Kaede decided to leave them alone.

She also spotted Yonaga and Gokuhara near the bushes. The bug lover seemed to be showing something he had in his hand to the artist, which Kaede guessed to be an insect. He had an enthusiastic look on his face while Yonaga seemed interested and rather happy by his discovery. Even if the Ultimate Pianist found both of them quite friendly, she didn’t really want to have a lecture about insects, so she chose to not go meet them.

While exploring more the schoolyard, she noticed one of her classmates she considered to be part of the loner type. It was Hoshi Ryouma, the Ultimate Tennis Player, formerly known has Li’l Ultimate Sport. But those weren’t his only title. He was known in the media as Killer Tennis, the serial killer who killed an entire mafia organization’s members. Even if she was first scared of him due to his status as a murderer, Kaede came to the conclusion that he couldn’t be a bad person. After all, he was a Remnant of Hope, just like her and everyone else in the 79th class.

When she approached from him, Kaede noticed that Hoshi was crouching. Something lying on the ground was near him. The Ultimate Pianist discovered that it was a cat with gray fur.

“I don’t think your intention was to sneak behind me, but you should be cautious with people like me. You can’t know how I could react.” The tennis player said.

“Ah, sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you. I was just curious to see what you were doing by your own…is that your cat?”

“No, it’s a stray cat. He seems to like the schoolyard, I see him here every day. But today, he doesn’t look really healthy…”

Kaede looked at the cat. It’s true that he seemed really weak, like he was sick or something.

“Oh, maybe he’s thirsty?” She proposed. “It’s quite hot today, it wouldn’t be surprising if he's dehydrated. I think I’ve something that could help…”

The Ultimate Pianist removed her backpack and looked inside. She took an empty dish she used to bring her snack and a water bottle. She put the dish near the cat and filled it with water. Slowly, the small animal went on his paw and approached from the improvised bowl of water. He pulled out his tongue and began to drink. Kaede could hear him purred. She also noticed that Hoshi looked reassured.

“You like animals don’t you, Hoshi-kun?”

“I used to have a pet cat and be an animal lover, but it was before I became a murderer. Now this part of me is only a shadow of my former self.” 

“I don’t think it’s true. You were clearly concerned about that cat’s wellbeing. I don’t know your past, but you shouldn’t renounce to a part of yourself. There’s nothing wrong with loving animals, it’s just show you’re a caring person.”

Hoshi stood up and a looked at her with a bewildered expression.

“You’re calling a killer like me a ‘caring person’? What a naïve girl you are. You shouldn’t get close to someone like me. I’m a person you could consider as bad.” 

“No, that’s wrong. I can’t believe our headmaster, the Ultimate Hope, would have chosen someone bad to be part of the 79th class. You’re a Remnant of Hope, so it means you helped people during the Tragedy.”

“I was in prison when the Tragedy started. I was condemned to death penalty. The other prisoners took advantage of the Tragedy to start a riot and escaped. I left the prison too. I used my talent to kill those who were spreading despair. Maybe some people considered what I did as good, to me murder is murder. Even if I saved people, my hands are covered with blood.”

“…I do agree that murder is wrong no matter the reason, but you still had good intention by doing it. It’s hard to judge you for what you did during the Tragedy. You’re showing regret for your past actions, it’s the proof that you’re not as bad as you think. I believe that Naegi-san chose you as an Ultimate because he believes in your good side, and wanted to offer you a second chance. To me, you’re one of my classmates, and someone I want to befriend.”

Hoshi continued to look bewilder, before showing an amusing smile.

“You’re an interesting one, Akamatsu-san. I still view myself as a killer, but I won’t stop you if you try to get closer to me. But I’ll still give you a warning. Not everyone who committed murder regret it. You shouldn’t be too trustful with those who had killed, you can never know what their true intentions were and what they’re capable of.”

The bell that announced the end of the break rang. Hoshi began to go back to school. Since the cat was still drinking in her dish, Kaede let her dish there and followed the tennis player, disturbed about his warning. Was he talking about someone in particular, or was it just a general advice?

* * *

 

Kaede arrived at the cafeteria. Like usual, she ate her lunch with Saihara and Momota, and today Amami and Ouma were also there. The Ultimate Pianist noticed something strange. Except Saihara and herself, all the others at the table were eating a warm meal on a tray. She knew that the school didn’t have a cook for the moment, but what they were eating look like a lunch you could at a school cafeteria. Curious about that, she asked the three boys where they found those meal.

“I’m not sure.” Amami replied. “I saw light coming from the canteen and I concluded it was open. I checked with Ouma-kun and there had warm food in cauldrons, with a note next to them.”

“It was written ‘serve yourself’.” Ouma added with a wide smile. “So we did!”

“What? You took food that you didn’t know the provenance?!” Kaede exclaimed with consternation.

“But it smelt so nice!” Ouma justified. “And it also tastes good!”

“I must side with Ouma with this one. This food is delicious. You should try it, Akamatsu.” Momota said.

“Hum, you began to eat for enough time now. If it was poisonous, you should be dead by now, or at least have symptom of poisoning.” Saihara commented. “But maybe if it was a poison with slow effect…”

“Oy, don’t say creepy stuff like that Saihara!” the astronaut shouted with a panicked voice.

“But he’s right, we could die in the middle of Kirigiri-sensei’s class! No, I don’t want to die!” Ouma began to scream while, probably, shed fake tears.

“You’re not helping, Ouma-kun…” Amami said with a discourage smile.

Kaede sighed. Even if she was doubtful about this food, she didn’t think it was poisonous. But still, she was curious about the person who made it and the reason why.

“I think I’ll see for myself. I’ll be back soon.”

The Ultimate Pianist stood up and went to the canteen. She saw the cauldrons that Amami was talking about, filled with tasty looking food. Kaede stopped a door, probably leading to the kitchen. Cautiously, she grabbed she handle and opened it. She noticed that the floor was wet, like it had been cleaned recently. She also saw someone who was doing washing the dishes.

“Toujou-san?!” Kaede called.

The maid turned back, while continuing to wash a plat. Kaede was wondering how someone could look so graceful while washing a dirty pan.

“Ah, Akamatsu-san. Do you require my services?”

Kaede realised that she never really talked with her. Even if she saw Toujou every day in classes, she tended to disappear at each break, and the rare times she saw her, Shirogane was always monopolising the maid.

“No, uh…Are you the one who made the food?” The Ultimate Pianist asked.

“Yes, it was me. Why? Does the food not of your liking? If it’s the case, do you want something else? Is it because you have allergies?”

“Ah, no, it’s not that. I was just…curious. Why did you make this food?”

“Because it’s my duty as a maid to make sure you all eat properly.”

“Eh, but I thought that maids were doing things like cleaning. You know, domestic work.”

Toujou finished to wash the pan and deposed it in the sink. She then turned back again to face Kaede.

“This is not entirely false, but it’s also a common misconception. So let me explain to you what exactly is a maid, Akamatsu-san. You weren’t wrong by saying a maid is a domestic worker, but there are multiple types of maid. The one you were talking about is more likely chamber maid. There is also parlour maid, lady’s maid, laundry maid, nursery maid, kitchen maid, scullery maid and still room maid. In my case, I’m qualify for all the types of maid’s work. I can cook, do the laundry, cleaning, wash the dishes, and I’ve knowledge in first aid and aptitudes in various sports.”

Kaede couldn’t say she wasn’t impressed. No wonder why Toujou was the Ultimate Maid. She then remembered something she heard about the maid.

“Is that true that you were sometimes hired as a bodyguard?” The Ultimate Pianist asked.

“I’m always hired only as a maid. It’s my duty as a maid to insure my employer’s security. Nothing more.”

Kaede didn’t insist. Toujou seemed to be a humble person who only considered herself as a maid, but the Ultimate Pianist had the impression she was more than just a maid. It wasn’t hard to deduce what she did to earn the title of Remnant of Hope. With her talent and many skills, the maid could have help people in a lot of different way.

 “Anyway, you’re definitely an amazing person, Toujou-san!”

“No, I’m just doing my job. It’s my duty to take care of others. So Akamatsu-san, don’t hesitate to ask me if you need me for anything.”

“Uh, but I don’t need a maid. I rather have you as a friend.”

“Very well. If it’s your desire, then I’ll gladly serve you as a friend.”

Kaede wasn’t really sure about the maid’s proposition, but she didn’t argue.

“There is something else I’m curious about. This school doesn’t have a janitor, or any kind of domestic worker. So, why the school is always cleaned? I don’t know for the others, but my dorm room is always cleaned when I come back from school. Are you…the one who did this?”

“You deduced right. I asked the headmaster to let me take care of the school’s housework. He gave me his permission, since it would help me improve my talent. Unlike all of you, I don’t use my free time in my research room. Let just say that the entire school is my research room.”

Kaede was even more impressed to learn that all the school’s upkeep was assured by a single person.

“Well, thanks for taking care of my room, Toujou-san.”

“No need to thank me. It’s only my duty as a maid.”

The Ultimate Pianist remembered that she told her friends she would come back soon. Even if she really wanted to continue talking with Toujou, she didn’t want to worry her friends. She was still glad that she at the opportunity to talk with the maid. It was probably the first time she that she spoke with Toujou for more than one minute.

“I’ll let you finish what you’re doing. I’ll be sure to try your food another day.” Kaede said. “It was nice to talk with you.”

“I’m glad you enjoy my company. Don’t hesitate to tell me if the food is not of your liking.”

Kaede left the kitchen and went toward where were her friends. The bell rang not so long after she arrived. It was now the free time class, the Ultimate Pianist went to her research room to practice the piano. Today she had the chance to speak with two classmates she didn’t really know, which made her quite happy. She started playing piano, wondering with who she’ll get acquainted next time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter the new school's staff will arrive. The 79th class will have a new homeroom teacher, a gym teacher, and two security guards will also join, and also talent scouts. I let you guess who the staff is going to be.

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING SPOILERS
> 
> I thought about writing this story after seeing chapter 5, when they "remembered" being Hope's Peak students. I thought that "Remnants of Hope" was a fitting title for them.  
> I keep the event "Hunt" for this AU, but it's not exactly the same thing that the one in the game. I'll explain it in a futur chapter.  
> Sorry again for the potential (and unavoidable) mistakes.


End file.
